Green’s Dictionary of Slang

(orig. RN) a sailor; also attrib.

1847		J. Downey Cruise of the Portsmouth (1963) 216: You was sure to meet lots of Matelo’s [...] wending their way to their various quarters.
1882		Nat. Police Gaz. (NY) 16 Sept. 2/2: Newport bristles [...] with Mantalinl matelots, ‘'swell’ lieutenants and nobby master's mates.
1904		Kipling Traffics and Discoveries 58: Simultaneous it hits the Pusser that ’e’d better serve out mess pork for the poor matlow.
1912		N.Z. Colonist 12 Dec. 2/5: The sailor-man is a ‘Matloe’ or ‘Flatfoot’.
1917		B.E.F. Times 15 Aug. (2006) 211/1: Our gallant matlows sing twice daily the Hymn of Hate.
1923		‘Bartimeus’ ‘The Look’ in Seaways 149: The other sort: the sort us matelows has to turn to when we wants a bit of company.
1920		Mornington Standard (Vic.) 23 Apr. 2/3: Never refer to a bluejacket as a ‘Jack Tar’ or ‘sailor’ [...] top hismelf he is a ‘matloe’.
1928		(con. WWI) ‘Taffrail’ ‘A Little Drop o’ Leaf’ in Little Ship 242: ‘You’re sailors, aren’t you?’ [...] ‘We’re matloes, if that’s wot you mean.’.
1930		(con. 1914–18) Brophy & Partridge Songs and Sl. of the British Soldier.
1945		D. Bolster Roll On My Twelve 88: None o’ these bastards in them offices ever thinks o’ the poor matlows wot ’as all the work to do.
1955		A. Covey-Crump, RN Covey Crump MATELOT or MATLOW The sailor’s name for himself. From the French.
1962		F. Norman Guntz 99 : One of them [...] mentioned that he wouldn’t mind lumbering the matelot up his lattie.
1976		(con. 1920s) V. King Weeping and Laughter 134: ‘Sailor’ or ‘matelot’ parties were very popular. Both men and girls fancied themselves in the smart white pique or the undress vest of the lower deck.
1984		(con. WW2) T. Jones Heart of Oak [ebook] All the homosexual-frequented pubs in London had their share of matelots and squaddies and erks on the trot.